Can I be honest? I think I would like it if I was. I mean I always LOVE honesty from people. So, after photographing this family I drove away sad. The light, the LIGHT at this session was perfect, but I felt disappointment because the sweet little almost 2 year old girl didn't listen to what I wanted at all. Even when I got the photos back I kicked myself in the pants at how I could have done a better job. How I could have gotten her sweet smile out more. I stewed in the beating myself up room for quite a while. I was scared to give the photos to the parents.

Then I went to a photography seminar and heard an amazing speech, not about how I could do a better job at making beautiful photos, but about how beauty is being MYSELF as a photographer, seeing others beauty, and then capturing that. Not superficial beauty. That is not what I'm talking about here. BUT the beauty inside the people we love. The beauty we oh so love love love about them. I went back to this session after that speech and saw everything so differently. Oh my word, I saw how in this time, in this season, this sweet little almost 2 year old is very independent, confident, free spirited and full of joyous energy. When I realized through these images that beauty of this little girl was showcased I got the biggest smile! That's what I want here. As this little almost 2 year old gets older I am thankful they will always have these pictures to remember who that girl was in this moment in time.

Anyone can capture a family smiling at a photo, what I want to capture is WHO that family is in this season.

I LOVE living by the ocean. My heart fills with joy when I smell those sea smells, feel the wind, and the glorious sand in my toes. I also love the sun. The warmth of the glowing light mixed with film makes beautiful magic for photos. This family session was destined to have the mixture of both these loves of mine, ocean + sun. That is until I started the decent from the top of the sun filled hill to the fog filled shore below. The sun wasn't present... but I may have added to my list of loves. FOG. Ah :) the mystery, the mood, the glow. Fog has such a unique beauty and I'm excited to share the dynamic connection this family has along with it!